Detroit Lions: 7-Round 2019 mock draft, version 2.0
By Zac Snyder
Running back may have plummeted down the draft need list following the signing of C.J. Anderson but that shouldn’t take the position off the board completely. With a four-man depth chart of Kerryon Johnson, Anderson, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner, the Lions would be perfectly fine to go into the season without thinking about the position again. Then again, Bob Quinn is likely to take a longer-term view so it is important to note that only Johnson is under contract beyond the 2019 season.
Choosing to forgo adding a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft almost certainly puts the position among the top needs heading into the next offseason so it makes sense to get ahead of the curve if the opportunity presents itself.
Justice Hill doesn’t have ideal size but he helps make up for that with elite athleticism. An injury during his second 40-yard run at the NFL Combine cut his workout short, but the drills he was able to complete paint the picture of an elite athlete. Hopefully his pro day completes the missing information, but it is not likely to change Hill’s overall outlook given the strength of his testing so far.
The questions come in how Hill is able to put his athleticism to use. Scouting reports give the impression he is more of a bull in a china shop with the ball rather than a fluid athlete who makes the most of his athleticism on the football field. The Lions are in position to be able to take on a back who needs a little refinement given the shape their running back depth chart. The question becomes, who loses out on a roster spot as a result?